A Once in a Lifetime Experience
by Livvy Depp
Summary: Katherine Peterson is a big fan of Ed Wood, and one very eventful night, she makes a wish to become his girlfriend for a day, in the place of his extremely noncommittal one...and it comes true. Please R and R
1. Chapter 1: Reminiscing and Lamenting

A Once in a Lifetime Experience

Chapter One

Katherine Peterson sat alone in the darkened theatre, watching a painfully mediocre movie flash across the screen. The rest of the audience was long gone. They had flooded out about five minutes in.

"Phff!" she sniffed. "No-one appreciates real art anymore." She sighed to herself. On the screen, there was a man, with handsome, prominent features, and a smile that lit up the entire room. His name was Edward D. Wood Jr. Some said he was the worst filmmaker of all time. But not Katherine. She was a big fan. The biggest, in fact. Probably one of the only fans, she reminded herself mutinously. Ed Wood wasn't exactly the most brilliant moviemaker of his time, to put it mildly. However, she thought, he was the one with the most inextinguishable dreams--and a taste for women's clothes. That was the premise of Ed's newest movie, Glen or Glenda. He had a certainâfondness for angora, and he decided, as a way to inform the public without actually mentioning his own name, that he'd write, direct and star in a movie depicting what he-as a transvestite-went through every day. Katherine was hit with a tidal wave of admiration. In her eyes, Ed was fearless. Most men would shudder to tell anyone-let alone Hollywood executives-that they liked girl's clothes, but Edâoh!

Determined not to be discouraged by the constant doors slammed in his face at the idea of Glen or Glenda, he kept trying, and finally got somewhere! But unfortunately, all his efforts were in vain, as the movie was a flop. A stabbing pang of sympathy hit Katherine hard. She knew the ups and downs of the film industry very well. At one time, she'd been an aspiring young actress, and everyone was sure that she'd make one big picture and her career would skyrocket from that point on. One problem, though. The first movie that she'd chosen to make was terrible, and maybe twenty people in all of Los Angeles had gone to see it. After that, she'd even been refused the part of a solitary secretary, clicking away in the background, as the handsome male lead sloppily kissed the pretty, strong-willed female starâshe grimaced and balled her hand into a fist. The time to hold grudges was not now, she reminded herself sternly. Her heart really went out to Ed, and she wished she could tell him so, but she didn't know where to find him.

She whimpered as she thought of Ed's girlfriend, Dolores Fuller. She was in all of his movies. She was beautiful, talented, and Katherine, in spite of herself, knew that she'd be a star someday. In fact, she quite reminded Katherine of that "female star" that she'd been lamenting about only a moment before. But in spite of all this, no matter what Dolores said, Katherine could se that-in truth-she didn't really support Ed. In fact, Katherine thought she was threatened by the fact that her boyfriend had a better sense of style than she did! She sniffed disapprovingly. Dolores acted as though she knew that Ed would be around forever, so she just ignored him. Katherine's insides burned and writhed with anger. The man that she loved shouldn't be treated that way by anyone, especially his girlfriend! If I were his girlfriend, she griped stormily, as a hot, angry tear slipped stealthily down her face at the injustice of it all, I'd never take Ed for granted like Dolores! I'd always care for him and support him no matter what! At that, she stood and left the theatre, with a last glance at Ed's deep, passionate eyes. She looked up into a clear, starlit sky. A shooting star whizzed overhead. She decided, even though she knew she was being childish, that she'd make a wish. "It's worth a try!" she giggled gently, and whispered, "I wish that I were Edward D. Wood Jr.'s girlfriend, just for a day, so that I could show him what real love feels like." Katherine beamed sheepishly up at the glittery sky, her pretty face aglow with girlish giddiness.

Maybe it was the shooting star, or maybe the passion that she had for Ed, or perhaps the desire to prove to herself that she was better than Dolores at something, even if that something wasn't acting, but some unknown force was behind Katherine's wish, seemingly egging it on, almost willing it to come true, and the next day, Katherine's life would be changed forever.


	2. Chapter 2: Discovery

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Hello again! I hope that chapter one was enjoyable and was incentive enough for you to keep reading! I have gotten a little bit of feedback for the first chapter, and it was excellent, so thank you! Especially Dawnie-7. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Please read and review.

Bright sunlight streamed into the windows of Katherine's bedroom the next morning. Interesting, she thought. I always sleep with the blinds closed! She dismissed this thought carelessly and made a motion to roll to her right...and fell off the bed! She rubbed her cheek, which she had smacked on the dresser in her hasty and unwilling descent, and tried to shake away the funny lights floating in front of her eyes. When the pain and dizziness subsided, the curiosity and suspicion took its place instantly.

"I sleep on the left side of the bed. There's plenty of space to roll over if I go to the right! And plus, I have a dresser near the wall, not next to the bed..." She'd been muttering loudly to herself. So loudly, in fact, that she hadn't heard a stirring coming from the general direction of the bed. Just then, a sleep-saturated voice spoke quietly from the left side of it.

"Dolores? I heard a bang. Was it you, sweetheart?" Katherine had to bite down hard on her hand to keep from screaming. She lived alone! No-one else had the key to her apartment! There was an intruder in her bed! She groped around for a makeshift weapon and found a clothes hanger bearing a pink angora sweater. She extracted the sweater quickly, and held the hanger up like a sword. But then, it dawned on her. The sweater didn't belong to her. She'd been sleeping on the wrong side of the bed, and the curtains were open. Not to mention the big dresser and the man in the bed who'd called her Dolores and sounded alarmingly like--

"Ed Wood?" Katherine was in utter shock. "I'm in the apartment that belongs to Edward D. Wood Jr.!" She attempted, with difficulty, to close her gaping mouth. The voice, now cheerful rather than drowsy, swept down from the bed again.

"Of course you are, Cuddlemuffin! We live here, remember?" It now occurred to Katherine that he'd referred to her as Dolores. She'd have to explain to him that there was some mistake, she wasn't Dolores, she was Katherine Peterson...she stood, taking in her surroundings carefully. She ventured a glance into a mirror parallel to her on the opposite wall and gasped, shock and disbelief freshly blossoming in her gut. Her long brown hair was gone. In its place, there was shoulder-length, blonde curls, mussed from sleep and her uncomfortable flight from the bed. Her hazel eyes were now a mellow blue, and her nose was slightly longer, lips less full. Her bust was larger, and her waist curvier. She was wearing a silky nightgown, underneath which protruded two very feminine legs. She realized with a jolt that she had become-unknowingly-Ed's goregous girlfriend, Dolores Fuller.

Her head spun, and she puzzled frantically about how it had happened. She mentally retraced her steps. She'd gone to see Glen or Glenda, and had been venting about what a terrible girlfriend Dolores was to poor Ed and thinking that she could do better any day, when she'd seen a shooting star. She'd wished to be Ed's girlfriend for a day...and her wish had come true! Or had it? Maybe she was dreaming. She tugged her hair forcefully. Although she'd succeeded in yanking out a considerable chunk of hair, she didn't feel-or look, for that matter-any different than before. Could her wish have come true? This was all too much for her brain to comprehend at the moment, and before she could do any more deducing, Ed spoke again.

"What are you doing over there, hon?" Katherine spoke, surprised at the sound of her own voice, which was now obviously Dolores's.

"Um, erm-nothing...sweetie. I'm just not feeling all that great right now." she replied, very truthfully, climbing back into bed beside-was it really?-Ed Wood. She looked over at him just to make sure it really WAS him. Her hopes were confirmed. It was the same face that had gazed down at her from innumerable movie screens. The same soft, expressive eyes, delicate nose, innocent grin, chiseled cheekbones and black hair, although it looked messy and unkempt, after-seemingly-a night of tossing and turning. Somehow, it seemed, she liked it better that way. She gazed down into his beautiful face and felt-for the first time since waking up and falling out of bed-peaceful. She sighed and he spoke again.

"I think I know what will make you feel a lot better, Poodle." Katherine gazed at him dreamily. Had the handsome, talented, ambitious, versatile, optimistic, determined, PERFECT writer-director-actor Edward D. Wood Jr. just called her Poodle?! She was NOT worthy.

To her surprise and delight, he leaned over and kissed her sweetly on the lips. At that moment, she knew that she was the luckiest girl in the world. She was kissing the man that she'd loved and idolized for so long, and she had a chance to show him what being loved SHOULD be like. As she pulled away after a long kiss, she smiled to herself and rolled over gently, careful not to fall painfully off the bed a second time.

"Well Eddie, I'm going back to sleep for another few hours." she said, feeling uncharacteristically decadent. Even if he didn't know that anything was different, Ed Wood had a different girlfriend for twenty-four hours. And it was her! She had the right to celebrate!

"I love you, Ed." she said jubilantly. Then she giggled, and her tone changed from flamboyant to gently teasing. "And Ed..."

"Yes, honey?" he asked, playing into her little game willingly.

"Don't call me Cuddlemuffin."


End file.
